I first attended the Grand Prix of Long Beach (then sponsored by Toyota, now by Acura) back in 1987 as the creative director for Chevrolet Motorsports advertising. Since it was the first race of the season, I went with a crew of photographers and cinematographers to capture most of the pictures and film we’d need to create print ads and commercials for the upcoming season. Chevy had been stepping up their presence in America’s premier open wheel racing series and we were promoting it in the hopes it would make feel better about the brand and sell a few Corvettes, Camaros, Corsicas, and Celebrities. Mario Andretti managed to lap the field on his way to victory in his Newman/Haas Lola T87 in what was the first of many victories for the Chevy engine. I’m not sure how many cars that helped sell, but I can confirm the racing was top notch. The city, however, was still a work in progress.
If a race can be said to have helped save a city, the Grand Prix of Long Beach would be the one. Founded in 1975 as a Formula 5000 race, the Grand Prix of Long Beach was the brainchild of Christopher Pook and supported by Dan Gurney as part of an effort to revitalize this port city that had fallen on hard times. Brian Redmond won the inaugural race and based on its success, it became a Formula One race in 1976 with Clay Regazzoni taking the win in his Ferrari. The United States Grand Prix West cemented its position among American fans the following year when Mario Andretti became the first American to an F1 race on a U.S. track. Despite great crowds and exciting racing, Formula One’s sanctioning fees became too onerous and threatened to push the event into bankruptcy. So in 1985, Pook and LBGP chief operating officer, Jim Michaelian, gave CART a call. IndyCar in one of its many forms has raced there every year since except for 2020 when the event was canceled due to the COVID pandemic. During that time, downtown Long Beach has been transformed from adult theaters and boarded up buildings to palm-lined boulevards, high rise apartments, luxury hotels, and a first-class tourist destination.
The Grand Prix Circuit
The circuit has undergone several configuration changes over the years but the hairpin turn and long arcing front “straight” on Shoreline Drive remain two constant features of the track. IndyCar has used the current 11-turn, 1.968-mile layout since 2000. The track delivers a lot of action with several opportunities for passing. The most obvious is Turn 1 at the end of the long front straight. But you can also look for action into Turn 6 as well as through the Turn 9/10 complex leading into the hairpin. Even with those passing zones, track position is at a premium in Long Beach, with last year’s winner, Kyle Kirkwood saying qualifying up front is critical to success in the race, “If Palou was in front, he would have beat us. This was a track position race without any yellows.”
Tire strategy always plays a significant role on this demanding circuit in what is usually a three pit stop race. Last year there was a major difference in durability between the hard and soft compound tires. The leading qualifiers all started on hard tires and on their first pit stop and went to the soft tires for just 10 to 15 laps. Josef Newgarden started from 15th position on the soft compound but after gaining a few positions on the stickier tires, he stopped to jettison them as soon as he satisfied the two-lap requirement. He managed to work himself to 6th place using that strategy, but a late race seat belt issue sent him to the back of the field. Christian Lundgaard used a third strategy, going long on the soft tires during his second stint, to finish on the podium, and Sting Ray Robb ran a fourth strategy, running hard tires during the first two stints moving to the front. He then ran long on the softs on the third stint where the strategy converged with the rest of the field on the way to a career best 9th place finish.
The Long Beach Experience
Long Beach has come a long way from the down on its luck industrial port town after the closing of the Naval Station back in 1974. Today, you’ll find plenty to see and do in addition to the Grand Prix, which was instrumental in the city’s revitalization. Top attractions include the Aquarium of the Pacific, the Queen Mary, and Shoreline Village, a restaurant and shopping mecca that’s just steps from the Grand Prix track. A few blocks from the waterfront you’ll also find the East Village Arts District, a vibrant neighborhood with galleries, live music and other forms of creative expression.
Where To Stay
Just 30-minutes south of Los Angeles International Airport, Long Beach and the surrounding area has a full complement of accommodations including a few independent and boutique chain options that have a distinctive local flair compared to the typical national brands. If you’re after a California mid-century modern feel, check out the City Center Hotel. The Hotel Royal offers modern amenities in a renovated art deco boutique experience in the center of the Arts District. If you prefer something more historic and unique, there’s always the Queen Mary. The ships cabins have been restored and updated to provide you with an authentic 1930’s transatlantic experience, including crafted woodwork, working portholes, and a number of shipboard dining options.
Where To Eat
I know it’s probably a little too obvious a recommendation, but if you’re looking for a memorable meal with the best view in town, Parkers’ Lighthouse in Seaside Village is worth the premium you pay for the location. A lot of times a restaurant with this type of location the food is secondary. That’s not the case here. A recipient of Wine Spectator’s Award of Excellence, the focus on creatively prepared fresh seafood and high quality steaks. After a long day at the track, nothing hits the spot like a great steak, for our money, you’ll find the best steak in Long Beach at 555 East, a classic high end steakhouse with dry aged USDA prime beef and all the sides and add-ons you expect from a place like this.
The Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach is the oldest street race on the IndyCar calendar and one that every race fan should experience at least once. The fact that the city is now a world-class destination to go along with its world-class race only makes the experience even more memorable.
